This question was posted on a couponing board that I'm on, so I figured I would write a blog post about it. The question is Why do you shop with coupons? How has it helped you?
Why do I shop with coupons? Well there's the reason that every couponer would tell you and the most obvious reason. To save money! Mine is more than that. I use coupons to not only save money, but so I can have the big family that I've dreamed of. Saving money makes it easier to have the big family that we have. Learning how to use coupons has not only allowed me to save on food, but I can save on health & beauty items,cleaning supplies,toys,diapers,craft supplies,clothes,oil changes,and even eating out. It's amazing what you can save money on. The biggest reason of course is to save money, and why not! I'm going to save money in any and every way I can. Why on earth would I pay full price for something when I can get it for free or pay change for it? Why would anyone want to do that?
How has it helped?
It's helped me have my dream of having a big family. It's helped us always have food in the house and never have to worry about where our next meal will come from. It's helped with always have shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, laundry soap, etc. Having saved money on groceries means being able to put that money towards other things. Such as vacations, family fun, eating out etc.
What gets me is how others sometimes view coupon shoppers. They think that coupon shoppers are poor and have to use coupons. They think that we are somehow cheating the store. (The store gets back the money on coupons) We get dirty looks at the store.
I understand there are those people out there who make lots of money and feel like they don't need to use coupons to save money because they can afford groceries etc without coupons. Good for you and God bless you! I hear people out there that say they don't have time to use coupons. It really doesn't take me that much extra time. Actually I usually sort, cut and put away my coupons while watching TV. I mean your wasting time watch TV, why not do something while doing it. Or I take about 30 minutes during the kids nap times and do my coupons. People have time, they just chose to do other things with their time. To me an extra 30 minutes or so is going to save me at least 50% of my grocery money therefore it's worth the time to me. Plus I figure with the way the world is going today, you just never know. You never know when you might not have a job or income. You never know when something major might go wrong with a car, or house and you need the extra money to fix that.
Having used coupons and having a stockpile I know my family could live off my stockpile for a little while if we had to. I don't waste food just because I have a stockpile. Things expire and that's why you rotate your stockpile. I also don't just buy things because I have a coupon for them or get them free or cheaply. I buy what my family will use and stockpile those things. I don't like running out of things and pay full price for them. Things don't go to waste in my house! Things don't go unused in my house either. I buy and stockpile the things we need/use the most. Using coupons has completely changed my life. I think it's made it easier and better!
Thoughts
12 years ago
There is couponing and then there is extreme couponing. You, my friend, display the right way to master savings :) Stockpile what you need but not 100 bottles of mustard, lol!
ReplyDeleteIt's a little harder to do this in Canada but I am using coupons now and trying my best to save (and your grocery posts are a big reason why so thanks!).
Jennifer~Thanks so much! You are right. I don't think I'm an "extreme couponer". I don't have but 1/2 a bottle of mustard in the house:) Although I do have 1200 Q-tips (LOL). Even just buying 1 extra of something will slowly build your stockpile. I bought 6 packs of diapers the other day. Why because I got them for $3 a pack and you know you can't beat that anywhere. Plus I know I'm going to use them because I bought the next size up for my 4 month old and the size my toddler is in now. Even if she doesn't use them I know my son will. Stockpile to me isn't going and buying 100 items and clearing the shelf. Although I did buy 12 packs of cheese the other day, but it freezes and my rule is to only buy what we will use in 12 weeks. Well that's a pack of cheese a week. To me it's a waste to buy too much of something if you aren't going to use it before it expires.
ReplyDeleteah, but if the cheese was cheap and you have room in your freezer than it IS smart, I agree :) My general rule of thumb is if it will for sure be used, if we have the room to store it, and if its a super great sale then its only smart to stock up!
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